Creating a Purpose-Built Hydrotherapy Environment for Lincoln SEN School

Delivering a 6m x 4m stainless steel overflow pool as part of a new £13 million specialist primary school in Lincoln.

Client St Christopher's SEN School

Location Lincoln

Contractor Wates Construction

Sector

Education

The Challenge

The new £13 million primary school building for The Lincoln St Christopher’s School was designed to provide a purpose-built environment for pupils with a wide range of special educational needs, including non-ambulant pupils. As part of the wider development, the school required a dedicated hydrotherapy facility that would sit alongside physiotherapy and medical treatment spaces and support therapeutic activity in a safe, accessible setting. The challenge was to ensure the pool was delivered as a fully integrated part of the new school environment, with the specialist requirements carefully coordinated alongside the wider construction programme.

Approach

Working in partnership with Wates Construction, Innova developed the hydrotherapy element around the operational needs of the school and the technical requirements of the new-build facility. Early coordination helped ensure the pool, associated interfaces and surrounding therapy spaces could be considered as part of the overall design rather than as a standalone package. By bringing specialist hydrotherapy expertise into the project alongside the main contractor, Innova helped simplify the delivery process and reduce unnecessary complexity across design, coordination and installation.

Implementation

Innova supplied and installed a 6m x 4m x 1.2m stainless steel overflow hydrotherapy pool within the new primary school building. The pool was positioned alongside dedicated physiotherapy and medical treatment rooms, forming part of a wider network of specialist facilities that also included sensory rooms, soft play spaces and classrooms designed around different pupil needs. Installation was coordinated with Wates and the wider project team to ensure the hydrotherapy facility integrated effectively with the surrounding building services and construction works.

Results

The completed hydrotherapy pool provides St Christopher’s with a high-quality, purpose-designed therapeutic environment that supports pupils’ physical development, rehabilitation and wellbeing. Its location within the school’s wider therapy provision allows hydrotherapy to form part of a more joined-up approach to care and learning, while the stainless steel overflow design provides a durable, specialist solution for long-term use.

The pool is also available for lettings and use by the wider community, extending the value of the facility beyond the school itself. The result is a hydrotherapy pool that contributes to a future-ready environment designed around accessibility, therapy and long-term community benefit.